


It's This Truth We're Made Of

by halfbloodbritish



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-20
Updated: 2013-01-20
Packaged: 2017-11-26 04:39:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/646657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfbloodbritish/pseuds/halfbloodbritish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tragedy can bring together even the most unlikely of people. But it can also tear them apart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's This Truth We're Made Of

**Author's Note:**

> This is a (mainly) Larry AU I started ages ago, but momentarily gave up on. It only has one chapter so far and I'm sorry for that, but I was hoping for feedback on whether I should continue on with it or not. 
> 
> I hope you like it, and if you do I will love you forever.

Autumn was colder this year so it was no surprise that when Maxie answered her door, she was wrapped up, present-like in a blue woollen coat, a multi-coloured scarf tying it off like a bow. She smiled at Harry in her usual affectionate way as she hugged him and closed the door behind her. “Hey you,” she said happily as her gloved hand gripped his and she led me up the street. Harry knew what it looked like, but no, it wasn’t like that. He and Maxie had never been more than the very best of friends; they meant the world to each other, but it was more like a sibling friendship.

Maxie skipped ahead, and she had a right to after waiting all this time; when they had finished school her and Harry had barely had the time to talk to each other let alone spend the day together, what with travelling and trying to earn a little cash before university. Coming up to London for a week was the perfect opportunity to catch up.

“Hurry up Harry!’ Maxie laughed, tugging his hand as they saw the bus rounding the corner up ahead. The two of them raced each other to the bus stop about a hundred metres away and arrived in an exhausted mess as the bus pulled up, receiving a glaring look from the old lady hobbling over to the door from the shelter. Maxie was barely able to hide her giggle.

It was cramped in the bus and leaving the only spare seat to the elderly woman, the two of them were left to fit themselves between the other people travelling into the city to work and shop. In front of Harry two girls who looked about sixteen glanced at him a few times during the bus ride. He looked quickly across the bus towards Maxie to make a silent joke to her, but she pointedly looked away, her expression uninterested.

After twenty minutes or so, the bus pulled into our stop. Navigating their way between shuffling passengers, Maxie and Harry stepped off the bus. She stumbled on the last step and he abruptly caught her under the arms. “Watch out there Max!” he laughed as she composed herself and stepped onto the pavement into the crowded bus stop area.

“Come on,” she said, “Let’s eat.”

~ * ~

Harry and Maxie found themselves a cosy little café and squeezed into chairs around a tiny table in the corner. The chilly wind outside was enough to drive everyone indoors, so just finding ourselves a free indoor table was proving difficult. A young waitress bustled her way over to take their orders. Maxie ordered a flat white and a slice of mud cake, and was then forced to watch the waitress flirt with Harry as he deliberated over a chocolate éclair or cheesecake. He was completely oblivious however, so the spike of jealously which had arisen in her stomach lessened in height several inches, although the spike of nervousness grew even taller. This was the time. She had to do it.

“So Harry,” Maxie started, keeping to small talk first. “Why exactly did you come up to London?”

“To see you of course,” he said, stating the obvious. This was comforting; it suggested that maybe she was really someone special in his life. “Can you excuse me for a minute? Bathroom,” he said, and rose from his chair. Dammit. She was that close to telling him everything.

You see, Harry Styles was the love of her life, except he didn’t know it yet. So many years Maxie had grown up with him, getting to know the real Harry under the flesh. She knew his favourite colour, food and movie, just as she knew his fears and weaknesses. Maxie knew him better than anyone else in the world because as a friend, could have even the deepest of his secrets divulged to her. Hell, she even knew which drawer he kept his socks in. But it was seeing him like this, the unsuspecting girl magnet, innocently lining up girls around the corner without even knowing. Seeing him like this made her feel like there was no real hope for them. She just wanted a chance, one measly little chance.

It was only after Harry arrived back at their table that the waitress brought over the coffees and food, and Maxie had the suspicion that was why she had waited so long; the café was busy, but almost everyone was already eating. As the pretty girl smiled at him she tried to drive my thoughts about her out of her mind so she could focus on how she could really tell Harry. It would have to wait until lunch time, preferably somewhere secluded and pretty-waitress-free.

After morning tea, the two of them set about wandering around the stores. It was nice just being together. It felt like they were twelve years old again when Maxie’s relationship towards him was nothing more than a schoolgirl crush. But she had to remember that today was the day she had to tell him about her feelings. If she didn’t, the next time she saw him he would most definitely have some other girl clinging onto his arm. How could she tell him? It was her last and only chance, and she had to do this right.

~*~

“Nice dress, Maxie,” Harry laughed as she stumbled out of the change room. She was wearing the ugliest dress he’d ever seen, made of bright orange chiffon. She scowled at him and marched over to the nearest rack, yanking a bright purple suit off of it.

“Your turn now,” she said as she grinned wickedly. Harry sighed; why would anyone even make clothes like this? He took the suit and stormed into the men’s change rooms.

The next half hour consisted of the pair of them picking each other out hideous and overpriced items of clothing and having to parade them around the shop. The expensive-looking middle-aged woman at the counter looked at them sourly.

“Where to next?” Maxie asked as they left the store much to the approval of the woman.

“I dunno,” Harry contemplated, “do you want to go to the park for lunch?”

They took paper bags full of sandwiches into the park and laid down their coats to sit on. As they ate, Harry watched another boy their age bouncing a football on his knees. Maybe it was the concentration set in his face, or the way he bounced the ball, but he was just so… interesting. Maxie chattered on, and maybe if he wasn’t so consumed in that other boy he would have realised how nervous she was. But alas, he remained unresponsive.

After their lunch Harry and Maxie took a walk around the park, as Maxie described what it had been like living in London for the past few months. She had been staying with her aunt for that duration, who lived alone and was nearly always away at work or on some business trip. She had organised for Harry to reside on the sofa in the living room while he was visiting.

“So, do you have a special lady back in Cheshire?” Maxie asked jokingly.

“No, of course not, I’ve been too busy to go out much,” Harry replied, brushing it off. Why would she ask that? It wasn’t like they had ever had anything. Still, she seemed to relax a little anyways.

“Look Harry, I have something to tell you.” Maxie was serious now, and stopped abruptly to directly face him. Harry wasn’t so quick to stop; his left foot found a pool of slippery mud which had leaked from the lawn onto the pavement, and quickly slipped from underneath him, dumping him on his behind on the concrete.

“What were you saying Maxie?” Harry laughed as he got up, even though his tailbone was painful, and attempted to brush the damp dirt from the seat of his jeans. “Maxie?” When she didn’t answer, he turned to face her as she collapsed onto him, her breathing ragged and a bloody wound in her side. “Maxie,” he breathed as he laid her against him on the ground and clamped her hand over the bright red stain. “Maxie? Stay awake! You’ve got to!” Harry was panicking now. Leaving his right hand to keep pressure on the wound, his left fumbled with his pocket to try and get his phone out.

“I’ve got it,” a quiet but firm voice said from beside him. “Look after her.”

Harry turned and saw the boy who had been so calmly kicking a football around before now talking quickly into his phone, his face worried. After a moment he hung up and sat on the ground by Harry and helped him clamp the wound. He took his woollen beanie off and slipped it underneath Harry and Maxie’s hand. Maxie meanwhile was drifting in and out of consciousness.

“Hold on there. It’s Maxie isn’t it?” the boy asked and Harry nodded quickly. Her breathing became more stuttered.

“Shh Maxie, it’ll be alright.” Harry stroked his thumb over her forehead. How could this be happening?

In the distance the whirring siren of an ambulance came into earshot. It grew nearer and nearer, and it was not long before it stopped with a slight screech at the nearest road. Paramedics jumped out and rushed over to where the three of them were huddled on the ground. “Clear the way please,” one said. “Clear the way!”

“No! Maxie!” Harry said, refusing to let go.

“Come on mate, it’ll be better for her.” Two arms slipped around his waist and pulled him gently away. At last he surrendered, the boy losing his balance at the sudden weight change. The two of them ended up in a heap on the ground.

A few minutes later Maxie had been safely trundled into the ambulance, but was still in a critical condition. Harry heard the words ‘bullet wound’ murmured frequently through their hurried talk. “I’m coming with you,” said Harry instantly.

“I’m sorry,” replied on of the paramedics, “But coming with us won’t help her. You’ll just get in the way. And I don’t think it’s healthy for you to come alone.”

“I’m going with her!” Harry was starting to get aggressive again.

“Sir, please, it wouldn’t be of any benefit!” The paramedic was starting to get frightened.

“Don’t worry,” the other boy said, taking Harry aside. “We can take my car. I’ll go with you.”


End file.
